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Diseases and Injuries
Cats living in the wild often fall as victims to a number of diseases and injuries. It is the job of the Clan'smedicine cat to treat these conditions. Diseases and Conditions Chest Infections Whitecough and greencough are the most common chest infections known to the Clan cats. Whitecough is the milder form, but if untreated, it can develop into the much more severe greencough.Cats usually catch it during leaf-fall and leaf-bare, and sometimes it develops into large-scale epidemics. It can be fatal for elders and kits, and it has claimed the lives of many cats. It spreads quickly and is highly contagious. Medicine cats treat it using catmint. The first ThunderClan medicine cat, Cloudspots, found out that this was the best remedy. If fevers accompany the cough, tansy or borage is used as well. In Into the Wild, a disease named kitten-cough is mentioned. Runningnose tells about an herb used to cure it, though it has disappeared since Twolegs came to the forest. In Moonrise, Mothwing mentions blackcough as a form of chest infection. In Moth Flight's Vision, Micah mentions that redcough was an illness in the farm where a cat coughed up blood. It is also mentioned by Thunderstar in Thunderstar's Echo. In Thunder and Shadow, a disease by the name of yellowcough infects and kills several cats in ShadowClan, and is curable only by a plant named lungwort. It causes a loss of appetite, fever, difficulty breathing,delirium, and sore throats. Poisoning Poisoning is the ingestion of a substance that causes harm to the body, such as: * Eating or drinking poisonous substances or plants such as deathberries. Kits are the ones who usually fall victim to this, being curious and unaware of the danger. * Eating poisoned or rotten prey (known as crow-food) or drinking tainted water. * Inhaling too much smoke from a fire. * Being bitten by a venomous animal such as a snake. If only a small quantity of poison is ingested, the cat usually just receives a bellyache, but larger amounts can cause death. Medicine cats treat these bellyaches with yarrow or nettle leaves, while mild bellyaches can be treated with juniper or watermint. If a cat has been severely poisoned (as in eating deathberries, as Sorrelkitdoes in The Darkest Hour) they may become unconscious for a length of time. Rat-Borne Infections The cats sometimes fall victims to infections carried by rats. One of these infections is called Carrionplace Disease. The first ShadowClan medicine cat, Pebbleheart, realized that rats were a source of disease. As ShadowClan cats sometimes ate the rats from the Carrionplace in The Forest, they were prone to catch these diseases. This happens in Rising Storm, when two ShadowClan cats, Littlecloud and Whitethroat, come to ThunderClan for help because their Clan is in chaos from the deadly and contagious disease. Yellowfang sends them away because she doesn't want ThunderClan to become infected, but Cinderpelt wants to help them and comes up with a cure. Nightstar dies from Carrionplace disease during this time, which is why the Clan was in chaos (they thought it had ripped all nine lives from him when in fact he only had one life because Brokenstarwas still alive). Burdock root is used to stop infection from rat bites. Loss of Sensory Perception A cat may lose their eyesight or hearing due to old age as One-eye of ThunderClan did before her death,or from accidents and infections, or birth defects.These conditions usually end their career as a warrior, as they cannot hunt or fight efficiently, and must retire as elders, such as Longtail.source? Kits born with defects usually die young, unless they have special skills compensating it, like in Jayfeather's case.Kits that are white with blue eyes have a higher chance of being born deaf, like Snowkit. Joint Aches A condition usually associated with elders, the joints gradually degenerating with age, causing pain and difficulty to move. Damp environments can cause the appearance of this condition, so apprentices must make sure that the moss they gather for bedding is completely dry. It is usually treated using daisy or ragwort poultices. Toothache A toothache is caused by a cracked tooth, cavities, or an infection in the mouth. Alder bark is used to soothe the pain. Fever Fever is an abnormally high temperature of the body. It is not a disease in itself, but it usually signs the presence of an infection, such as greencough or an infected wound. If needed, it can be treated with feverfew, borage , or lavender. Chills Chills are mostly associated with cold weather or being submerged in cold water for a long period of time. Although this condition is mild and is not a disease, it has claimed the lives of Mosskit and Hollykit. Kits and elders are more at risk of dying when they get a chill. Licking a cat's fur the wrong way gets the blood flowing again. A poultice of lavender, catmint, and feverfew is also a good remedy. Injuries Wounds Wounds are injuries when the skin and the muscles beneath are torn, cut, or punctured. They may put a cat's life in danger due to blood loss, infections, or the damage of the organs. Wounds are the most common injuries, due to the nature of the cats often fighting rival Clans, or enemy animals such as badgers, foxes, or dogs. Minor wounds heal on their own in no time, but severe wounds must be treated by a medicine cat. This treatment includes cleaning it thoroughly with the tongue, stopping the bleeding by pressing cobwebs or moss on it, and applying poultices to prevent infection and help it to heal. Herbs used in the poultices often include goldenrod, marigold, burdock root, or (in the case of rat bites) wild garlic. If the wound becomes infected, chervil or horsetail is used as well. The pain can be eased with poppy seeds or willow bark. Sprains Sprains are injuries to ligaments of a joint, caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity and possibly torn. It causes severe pain and decreased ability to move the joint. The cat must rest for several days. Joint Dislocation Joint dislocation is the displacement of a bone from its normal joint. Medicine cats treat this condition by first feeding the patient poppy seeds to make them sleepy so they don't feel it as much, and then forcing the limb back into the joint. Cracked Pads The paw pads may crack while walking long distances on hard surfaces, or due to cold weather. Elders are especially prone to this condition. It is treated with a poultice of coltsfoot or yarrow. Dock leaf poultices are also used to cool cracked pads. Broken Bones A broken bone is usually the result of an accident, such as falling down from a high place,39 or being hit by a monster.40 Cats most often break their legs, and while medicine cats try to bind the bone with cobwebs, the injury usually results in the cat remaining crippled for the rest of their life. The only cat known to fully recover after breaking a leg was Cinderheart. A more severe injury is when a cat breaks their backbone. This results in the cat being unable to feel or move parts of their body. If the break is bad enough the cat will be killed on or shortly after impact. Briarlight broke her backbone, and as a result, her back legs no longer function and she has no control over her bowel movements. Wildfur also broke his backbone, and since he only sat in his nest all day, he got fluid in his lungs and eventually died from not exercising.